The newspaper business was built for a world where one product served everyone and advertising paid for most of it. That model has gone. What replaces it is still being worked out title by title, from national groups to weeklies covering a single town.
Reader revenue is the clearest shift. Even Reach, which argued for free access for years, now puts some of its journalism behind a paywall, and the regional titles doing best changed their newsrooms before they asked anyone to pay. Ownership keeps changing too. National World rebuilt local editorships after years of centralisation, and the Observer is being reinvented as a premium print and digital title under new owners.
The strongest publishers understand the difference because they are not trying to be everything to everyone. They are trying to be essential to someone.
Chris Sherrard News media
Local news is where the pressure shows most. Millions of people now live without a dedicated local title, and new reader-funded and membership startups are moving into the gaps. Platforms are pulling back from news at the same time, which leaves trust and a direct relationship with readers as the assets that matter most.
Print hasn't disappeared either. Well-run weeklies still hold on to their readers, with circulation falling slowly while digital audiences grow.
Below you'll find some of our best feature articles on news media, from reader revenue and newsroom change to ownership, local news and trust, alongside our latest news and industry commentary.
Where is the growth opportunity for today’s publishers? Douglas McCabe tracks how the commercial model has evolved over the past fifty years and examines whether a better understanding of what online audiences want, will help drive future growth.
We asked Chris Sherrard, editor-in-chief of The Irish News, what does best practice publishing look like in news media? This is what he said…
After years of resisting paywalls, Reach is now launching them across its titles. But David Higgerson, Reach’s chief content officer, carefully avoided the word ‘U-turn’ when interviewed by Steve Dyson.
It’s one thing to think that readers should pay for your journalism, but the reality is that unless you improve your offering, then you will struggle to start charging for it, as DC Thomson Editor-in-Chief Frank O’Donnell tells Ciar Byrne.
How can you edit a regional newspaper when you never visit the area you’re writing about? By filling it with generic content, an approach that National World’s David Montgomery, the new owner of JPI Media, is rapidly doing away with.
Ray Snoddy talks to Co-CEO Rich Furness about the thinking behind Tortoise Media’s acquisition of the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper and about their plans for its future.
What’s the outlook for national news media in 2024? Christian Broughton, CEO of The Independent, looks ahead.
There is a new generation of entrepreneurs launching local media businesses, bringing with them new ideas on business models and funding. Phil Clark looks at some of the stand-out examples.
With Meta backing away from ‘news’ and AI accelerating the growth of disinformation, we need to redouble our efforts to safeguard access to quality journalism, says News Media Association Chief Executive Owen Meredith.
East Lothian is not just the best place to live – it has the best newsbrand too. Alan Geere heads over the border to find out what’s happening in the world of Scottish weeklies.
The Financial Times has announced a significant expansion into the Latin American market, with the launch of a digital newspaper print site in São Paulo, a new Latin America homepage on FT.com, and a new mobile app for the region.
Egmont Publishing Group has signed a deal with Mojang for book and magazine publishing rights around the BAFTA award-winning game, Minecraft. Rights are for all territories excluding the USA.
The NFRN has written to newspaper and magazine publishers and news wholesalers identifying areas of real concern to members and asking for support in recognising the important contribution that independent shops make within the news industry.
The organisers of the Specialist Media Show are holding their first online event, on 6-7 November.
German publisher Tagesspiegel-Gruppe is now live on Atex Content for magazine production.
Pocket Cuties, a new alternate monthly title for young girls, from LCD Publishing, goes on sale 5 October, priced £2.75.
Jacob Mathew, President of WAN-IFRA, announced yesterday the appointment of Vincent Peyrègne as the organization’s incoming Chief Executive Officer.
The National Council for the Training of Journalists is investing in a major piece of research to provide independent, comprehensive and up-to-date labour market information about journalists.
Former South African Rugby World Cup winning captain, Francois Pienaar, has said a personal thank you to Archant and one of its directors, Mike Walsh, for raising over £6,000 for the Make A Difference Foundation (MAD) which helps disadvantaged young
GP International, a new monthly title for motor racing fans from Bright Publishing, goes on sale 11 October, priced £4.95.
Telegraph Media Group (TMG) yesterday announced the launch of a new women’s channel on The Telegraph website.
A video leads and alerts service that emails new and targeted video content direct to magazine and newspaper staff has been added to Videobuilder.
Future, the international specialist media group, has launched Photography Week, a new international, interactive digital magazine.
More than 50 budding press photographers and photojournalists gathered at Press Association in London last week to hear about training and career opportunities in the industry, at a seminar organised by the NCTJ and supported by FujiFilm UK.
Wallpaper*, the international design, fashion and lifestyle magazine, has appointed Rebecca Morris as director of Wallpaper* Bespoke, the advertising division that creates tailor-made solutions for the title’s clients.
